world is built, it would not be pardonable to deviate so far from them; or to inquire, so far as grammar itself would authorize, if the common settled opinion opposes it:  especially in this place, where the received doctrine serves well enough to our present purpose, and leaves this past doubt, that] the creation or beginning of any one [substance] out of nothing being once admitted, the creation of all other but the Creator himself, may, with the same ease, be supposed.

19.  Objection:  Creation out of nothing.

But you will say, Is it not impossible to admit of the making anything out of nothing, since we cannot possibly conceive it?  I answer, No.  Because it is not reasonable to deny the power of an infinite being, because we cannot comprehend its operations.  We do not deny other effects upon this ground, because we cannot possibly conceive the manner of their production.  We cannot conceive how anything but impulse of body can move body; and yet that is not a reason sufficient to make us deny it possible, against the constant experience we have of it in ourselves, in all our voluntary motions; which are produced in us only by the free action or thought of our own minds, and are not, nor can be, the effects of the impulse or determination of the motion of blind matter in or upon our own bodies; for then it could not be in our power or choice to alter it.  For example:  my right hand writes, whilst my left hand is still:  What causes rest in one, and motion in the other?  Nothing but my will,—­a thought of my mind; my thought only changing, the right hand rests, and the left hand moves.  This is matter of fact, which cannot be denied:  explain this and make it intelligible, and then the next step will be to understand creation. [For the giving a new determination to the motion of the animal spirits (which some make use of to explain voluntary motion) clears not the difficulty one jot.  To alter the determination of motion, being in this case no easier nor less, than to give motion itself:  since the new determination given to the animal spirits must be either immediately by thought, or by some other body put in their way by thought which was not in their way before, and so must owe its motion to thought:  either of which leaves voluntary motion as unintelligible as it was before.] In the meantime, it is an over-valuing ourselves to reduce all to the narrow measure of our capacities; and to conclude all things impossible to be done, whose manner of doing exceeds our comprehension.  This is to make our comprehension infinite, or God finite, when what He can do is limited to what we can conceive of it.  If you do not understand the operations of your own finite mind, that thinking thing within you, do not deem it strange that you cannot comprehend the operations of that eternal infinite Mind, who made and governs all things, and whom the heaven of heavens cannot contain.